Wilco - Ode to Joy (2019)

Wilco - Ode to Joy Image result for wilco ode to joy

Wilco's Striking New Album, 'Ode To Joy,' Shifts To Smaller Stakes ...

Wilco has no doubt run the gamut on what it means to be a rock band of a certain age. From drug addiction, record label and interpersonal strife and a series of "comeback" albums, it seems that even if Jeff Tweedy disbanded the group, no one would be surprised to see them reunite for a world tour following a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. With all that being said, it's worth acknowledging that the last few Wilco albums (besides the standout Star Wars) have been pretty good, not great, but pretty good. I can happily say, as a life long fan, Ode to Joy is their best album in at least ten years... maybe even 15. A dense and slowly revealing group of ballads and old-Wilco-isms, their eleventh album uses its soft composure to pull from the best of the band's past while remaining lyrically prescient.
~8.5

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